Peanut Butter Gun
by FreezePride
Summary: Great minds think alike…or perhaps great minds just agree on the best choice of sandwich. Ienzo meets a certain young genius named Lewis. This is a little story dedicated to UndeadMonkey8 for always being there in support of my longer story, The Journey. Your feedback means so much to me! Thanks so much! You're wonderful! :)


_((Hey there, Ladies and Gents and everyone in between. This is a bonus chapter for my longer story: The Journey. I loved the idea which my friend UndeadMonkey8 (which was to put our favorite group of insane somebodies in Meet the Robinsons), but I just couldn't find a place to shove it into the fic itself, so I wrote it as a side adventure._

 _This is a little story dedicated to UndeadMonkey8 for always being there in support of my longer story. Thanks so much! You're the best! :) ))_

Ienzo had always been particularly adapt at slipping away. He had a great deal of experience to draw on from when he was young, slipping in and out of the castle walls of Radiant Garden. Frankly, if anyone could manage to sneak past a watchful Aeleus, and avoid the nagging cries of Even at his heels, they had earned their right to explore. Perhaps that was why, when the ship had landed in the metropolitan looking cityscape advertising 'InventCo' products at every corner in bright, hopeful letters, that both Aeleus and Even were not surprised to see that he had disappeared off into the distance.

Perhaps the entire party would have had much more of a panic if the world itself did not seem rather welcoming in general. Seeing that their clothing had not much changed from the norm that they had become accustomed to, they were thankful for the respite from victorian ruffles or Atlantean robes. Small children played outside what looked like a conservatively decorated schoolhouse, which upon further inspection, was actually a modestly sized orphanage.

Arlene whistled slightly, giving the structure an appraising glance. "Looks nothing like the Oliver Twist story." She observed with a cackle. "I hope they're feeding those little cuties enough gruel for them to survive."

With Ienzo absent from the party, it was left to Even to roll his eyes at her in exasperation. "Oh, do come off it. It looks quite nice, remarkably serviceable. I'm sure they serve much better than gruel. Besides, everyone knows that Dickens was paid by the word. The more he could fluff up your sympathies, the better."

"He's an old dead writer. Who even cares?" She muttered.

Even paused a beat, taking a breath. "Never say that in front of Ienzo. He'll strangle you."

"Speaking of which, we should be finding him." Aeleus reminded them. It was a comfort to see that he was not overly worried, or even outrightly upset, but just slightly annoyed. He knew Ienzo tended to run off at times, needing space, needing silence, but to do so without warning was simply foolhardy. Even was comforted to see that Aeleus agreed.

Ienzo observed them from just around the corner, peeking from a nearby alleyway. He had never really been entirely able to justify the sensation that he needed to get away at times, when he felt the presence of others becoming cloying, overpowering and sapping. He needed far more than space, he needed solitude and piece of mind. He could find that solace with only Aeleus around, but with the constant presence of Lumaria, Arlene and Even, he found himself edging on slightly mad.

Ienzo darted down the alleyway, rounding the back of the building before he could be spotted by the party, slowly making his way towards the orphanage, perhaps for just the excuse of having some sort of target at which he could reach.

The place itself seemed warm, friendly, if not a bit tired, but it was the thought of an orphanage that left Ienzo's stomach clenched in a tight knot. These children were without parents, without support or a family. Entirely alone because their parents were

'...unable to care for him.' His memory reminded him, Even's cold words from years before still ringing all too true.

Lost in thought now, he stepped quickly, quietly around to the back of the orphanage, out of sight, but no so far that he could not spy a baseball game going on nearby, the cheers and smell of popcorn and hotdogs drifting to his preceptive nose. It seemed to be a happy place to grow up in, but he felt a restlessness about the home more than he could see it. Relatable, to a fault, he remembered the restless curiosity that had plagued him his entire childhood.

'...unable to care...'

What had that even meant? Where were his parents and what had happened that they could not account for his well being? And, why was he given to Ansem (or more accurately, Even) towards the end? His mind invented some odd, friendly relationship his imaginary mother and father had with the old scientist, and them suddenly perishing in a gruesome accident. Or perhaps they were adventurers or soldiers of some sort, traveling around to each world, guarding the well being of...

For darkness sake, he thought he had left these fantasies behind with his childhood. These dreams would take him nowhere. It was best to stay in the present, stay prepared, keep pushing his mind to the boundaries of human knowledge and consciousness, and then onwards.

Lost in thought, Ienzo stepped around the corner, passing by an open window. There was a shriek of warning. Ienzo snapped his attention to the opening and the room within and was met with a face full of peanut butter.

Flailing, he rather ungracefully jumped back, recognizing the smell and feel immediately, more insulted by the gesture than the fact that it had been a terrible waste of one of his favorite flavors of ice cream. He tried to form words through the thick gooey mess, only managing a 'Mmmmph, mmmph" before swiping the sticky stuff away with his hands.

"I'm so sorry!" Came a cry from within. Ienzo spotted the shock of blond hair, sticking straight towards the sky bobbing as it ran in his direction before a face popped up to speak to him and assess damage. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you!" The small boy groaned, smacking his forehead with his palm, upsetting his large, round glasses. Taking a moment to grab a towel from his nightstand, he jetted back to the window and handed the cloth through. "It's just peanut butter, I swear! I haven't gotten the jelly mechanism to work yet, but I'm still trying." He laughed nervously, gesturing to a rather spirited looking 'gun' design, colorful tubes leading to the shooting end, a jar of peanut butter and jelly attached at the handles.

Once the mess was pushed out of his eyes, Ienzo sputtered and marveled at the gun in the child's hand, grinning at the concept despite himself. The slight looking lad was quite the inventor, though it probably did not even occur to him that this might be a talent that not every individual possessed.

He arched a brow at the young boy, slight in frame, as the child looked nervously at the door and the back to Ienzo as if wanting suddenly to flee. "You're not going to tell, are you? If it gets out my projects are still failing..." He trailed, looking crestfallen.

"Of course not. I'm not a snitch." Ienzo said, resting his arms on the ledge of the window. "I'm more so impressed with your impeccable taste in sandwiches, child. Peanut butter is the most addictive, I must admit." He expanded. The child looked impressed, perhaps more at the tone of his voice than the actual words themselves. "What is your name?"

"Lewis." The boy answered, then bit his lip once again, realizing that he should not be speaking with strangers. "So, you promise that you're not upset? I really didn't mean to hit you. I've been working on this forever, and I know I can get it to work, I swear! I just need to try it out one more time, I think, and fix the pressurizer."

"The pressurizer is far too high, you are correct." Ienzo commented pensively. "You'll need to tone it down to be able to correctly make the trigger function. Otherwise, you'll just keep shooting off peanut butter in globs, not in a stream."

Lewis looked at him in wide eyed amazement. "Do you make inventions as well?" He whispered, amazed and awed at the prospect of meeting a grown-up of all people, who understood his obsession.

"I make a great many things." Ienzo admitted, reaching an and straightening the boy's glasses with a paternal touch. "But I must admit, my creations have never been as delicious as yours. Please continue your work. You're doing the world a great service." He admitted with a warm smile. Lewis blushed, suddenly quite interested in his toes.

"Thank you." Lewis murmured, pausing in the moment as though savoring it. It seemed that compliments were few and far between for the child's growing mind.

"Don't stop reading, Lewis. And don't stop creating. Your mind will grow, and your mind is your power."

The boy looked up, a hopeful smile growing on his freckled face, but found the window completely empty.

Ienzo appeared beside Aeleus about an hour later. Aeleus might have been angry, frustrated with the well known tendency, but he certainly didn't show it. There was definitely a fond relief within the set of his broad shoulders, and Ienzo was willing to accept that.

Even, of course, accepted his absence with the grace of a crocodile in a tutu. "And, where have you been? Ienzo, we're on a mission! We can't be running around alone like a teenage drama queen! Aren't you a bit old to be in the midst of angsting?" He snapped, gesturing wildly at their surroundings as though it should be apparent that in the middle of a calm and welcoming cityscape, they needed to be at their most vigilant.

"Oh, come off it, Even. It was only a short while." Lumaria justified, to his surprise. "He needed a moment. I think we all did." Something about the man's smooth tone seemed all too content though, which sent Ienzo slightly on edge. "Though, I have to wonder..." The dancer continued, moving over to stand in front of Ienzo and assess him. "Where he could have been that he has peanut butter on his face."

The rest of the party googled at the young illusionist as Lumaria wiped away a small dollop of the substance from his chin and popped it in his mouth with a note of satisfaction.

Ienzo shrugged and took a step away from the close contact. "I promised Lewis I wouldn't tell." He said with a grin. "And I'm no snitch."

They stared at him blankly, too many questions assaulting the party to even begin to choose one. Even gave an defeated sigh before speaking again. "I'll be on the ship if you need me. Come back when you start making sense."

Arlene shrugged, as though the amusement had finally worn off now. "Why do I suddenly want a sandwich...?" She muttered, following after Even.

Lumaria followed after her and only Aeleus was left to stand with Ienzo now, both looking at the quaint looking orphanage. Ienzo peered up at him curiously. "I'm not leaving without you." Aeleus responded with a stubborn huff, as though tried and shaken enough by his disappearance earlier.

"Then I'm lucky." Ienzo admitted with a soft smile before turning to return to the ship as well, Aeleus following after.


End file.
